NCERT Solution of English Prose Chapter 3 A Pinch of Snuff

NCERT Solution of English Prose Chapter 3 A Pinch of Snuff of Bihar board exam preparation in bihar board zone by Rahul Kumar 

 

A. Answer the following questions orally:

Q. 1. Do guests visit your house frequently? How do you respond to them ?

Ans. Yes, guests frequently visit our house. Most of them belong to villages. They very often come to town for different purposes. Sometimes they come for marketing or medical aid. They come to attend court also. At night they stay at our house. We feel happy to see them. We provide them food and shelter. We pay respect to them. Guests are taken as gods.

 

Q. 2. Do you like all of them equally? How often do you entertain your guests gladly?

Ans. I try to pay due respect to all of my guests. But a few of them are not of our liking. We have to tolerate them anyhow. We provide them food and shelter. On the other hand, we feel glad to see the guests of our liking. We interact with them whenever we get leisure. But sometimes we get fed up with some guests.

 

Q. 3. At times you may have to welcome a guest whom you don't like much. How do you do this?

Ans. Certainly we have to welcome also a guest whom we don't like much. In that case we provide only food and shelter but without any interest. We don't talk much with them. We don't pay heed to them.

 

B. 1.1 Complete the following sentences on the basis of what you have studied:

(a) .......... was coming to visit the narrator's family.

(b) The narrator was........... on probation.

(c) Nanukaka was to stay for .........

(d) Nanukaka was coming to Delhi to .........

(e)........... informed the Nanukaka's visit. Under-Secretary about

(f) The Under-Secretary had to put a charpoy for himself in the back verandah because .........

(g) Nanukaka was related to the narrator as he was his...........

 

Ans. (a) Nanukaka, (b) an Under-Secretary, (c) two or three days, (d) see some Minister, (e) Mother, (f) his mother had installed him in his bedroom, (g) nephew.

 

B.1.2. Answer the following questions briefly:

Q. 1. The news that made the mother happy disturbed her son. Why were their responses so different ?

Ans. Generally ladies are seen to be very particular and caring towards their maternal home. The news made the mothe glad as Nanukaka was her brother. But her son, on the other hand had something of a complex about ministers as he was trained to regard minister higher than gods. So he worried that he would have to bear Nanukaka's presence for long.

 

Q. 2. Do you have a similar experience? Has your response to the news of the arrival of any guest ever been different from that of other members of the family?.

Ans. No, I haven't any such experience. Every member of our family expresses delight at the arrival of our all guests.

 

Q. 3. 'Had to travel second on a third class ticket? But it was all arranged quite amicably? What 'arrangement' Nanukaka is referring to ? How can such arrangement be 'amicable'?

Ans. Nanukaka had to travel second class on third class ticket but he arranged it amicably. The arrangement Nanukaka is referring to is that he had a third class ticket but he failed to get any room in the third class compartments. He arranged his journey in second class with the help of a ticket-inspector even without a proper ticket. This arrangement was 'amicable' as his journey became quite comfortable then.

 

B.2.1. Write T for true and F for false statements:

(a) It was very easy for the narrator to get sent on a foreign assignment.

(b) Ratiram was the son of Sohanlal Ratiram.

(c) Sohanlal Ratiram was the Party boss in Delhi.

(d) Nanukaka went to Lala Sohanlal because they both were Zamindars.

(e) Nanukaka visited Lala Sohanlal in the guise of an astrologer.

(f) Nanukaka's meeting with Sohanlal Ratiram was very successful.

 

Ans. (a) T, (b) T, (c) F, (d) F, (e) F, (f) F.

 

B. 2.2. Answer the following questions briefly :

Q. 1. The Under-Secretary always obeyed Nanukaka although he was never willing to do so. Why?

Ans. Nanukaka was his guest and his mother's brother. So he always obeyed him though he didn't do so from within his heart.

 

Q. 2. "This tie-and-collar business is no good these days. What did Nanukaka mean to say ?

Ans. In these lines, Nanukaka had narrated the importance of our traditional dress, such as close collar, Jodhpur coat and turban, while meeting a minister or other VIPs. The western dress like 'Tie and Collar' was not fit for the purpose, according to him.

 

Q. 3. How did the Under-Secretary change his appearance to accompany Nanukaka ?

Ans. In order to change his appearance, the Under-secretary wore Jodhpur coat and put on a huge orange turban on his head in place of tie and collar.

 

Q. 4. Who is a Zamindar? Do you know any Zamindar in your locality? What do the people in your locality think about him ?

Ans. A Zamindar is a person who owns lots of land. He is generally rich. I don't know any Zamindar in my locality. People think that they are very rich. They have a sense of respect for their Zamindars.

 

Q. 5. How did Nanukaka impress Sohanlal Ratiram ?

Ans. Nanukaka talked about his V.I.P. status in a very loud voice. He did so in order to make Sohanlal hear all about him. He talked about his foreign tours and contacts with politicians and ministers. Then he began to tell about Hazrat Barkat Ali, the ambassador. He talked in such a way as if they were his best friends. This kind of talking impressed Sohanlal Ratiram much.

 

Q. 6. What important information did he collect at Ratiram's place?

Ans. The important information Nanukaka collected at Ratiram's place was that after the refusal of his daughter's marriage with Sohanlal's son, the minister had made up his mind to marry her daughter to the prince of Ninnore.

 

Q. 7. Who is a Prince? Do we have any prince now ? If yes, do they enjoy the same privileges which they used to do?

Ans. A prince is the son of the king of an estate or a country. He is the next claimant for the ruler's post. No, there is no prince in India now. But there are one or two countries in the world which have prince or princes. But they don't enjoy the same privileges as they used to enjoy in the past.

 

B. 3. Answer the following questions briefly:

Q. 1. Who was the second important person Nanukaka had planned to meet ?

ans. The Welfare minister was the second important person Nanukaka had planned to meet.

 

Q. 2. What preparation did he make to meet him ?

Ans. He first managed to get a big and outlandish car for going to the minister's office. He got Under-Secretary dressed in Jodhpur coat and turban. Then he sat on the car in such a manner that he looked a hereditary pundit from a princely state.

 

Q. 3. What new role did Nanukaka give the Under- Secretary to play ?

Ans. According to the plan, Nanukaka made the Under-secretary play the role of the driver of the car. This was the car by which Nanukaka went to the minister's office. The Under Secretary was dressed as a liveried chauffer.

 

Q. 4. How did he manage to impress the Sikka Auto Dealers?

Ans. He managed to impress the Sikka Auto Dealers by the demonstration of his wealth. According to the plan, he went to Sikka Auto Dealers. In the meanwhile a dhobi came with an old coat of Nanukaka and showed him a cheque. He told him that the cheque was left in his coat. The manager was impressed to see such demonstration of wealth.

 

Q. 5. What did he do at the minister's residence?

Ans. He went to the minister's residence with an assumption and pretention that he was from a princely state. He said that he did not want to disturb the minister and called straight from the visitor's book. In the book he mentioned his name and the address of Under-Secretary. He wrote "Hereditary Astrologer to the Maharaja of Ninnore" also.

 

Q. 6. How did he impress the minister ?

Ans. In order to impress the minister, he applied many tricks Firstly, he appeared in an outlandish car with a liveried chauffer Secondly, he dressed himself like a heriditary pundit from princely state. While getting into the car, he shouted in a lou voice to take him to a king's palace. He did so only to show hi contacts with many kings. Lastly, he wrote his name in th visitor's book and added, "Hereditary Astrologer to the Mahara of Ninnore".

 

Q. 7. Is the Under-Secretary impressed with Nanukaka at any point? When and why? Find out the evidence from the story.

Ans. Yes, the Under-Secretary is impressed with Nanukaka. But he is impressed after he (Nanukaka) used his wit. He had applied his intelligent brain and become successful. The evidence is that he says if minister discovers the fact, he is sure that Nanukaka will deal with the situation without allowing a single fold of his angochha to fall out of place.

 

C.1. Long Answer Type Questions.

Q. 1. Nanukaka tells lots of lies. Why does he do so ? Does he succeed in his pursuit ?

Ans. It's a fact that Nanukaka tells a lot of lies. He does so just to have a meeting with the Welfare minister. He thought that if he didn't do so, he couldn't have met the minister in two or three days. He knew it well that if he didn't tell lies, he would have to wait for months to get an appointment with the minister.

            Yes, Nanukaka got success in his pursuit. He could get this success only with wit and cleverness.

 

Q. 2. What impression does Nanukaka make on you? Do you like him? Attempt a character sketch of Nanukaka.

Ans. The impression Nanukaka leaves on me is of a clever and witty man. He knows how to be successful well in his pursuit. He feels no hesitation even in telling lies. No, I don't like a person of the kind. I would never like a person who fails to make difference between the good and the bad.

              Nanukaka is certainly a witty person. He is not ready to make any difference between the good and the bad. He knows t get success anyhow. He knows how to deal with the situation. H can cheat anybody. He is funny also.

 

Q. 3. Suppose you have Nanukaka as your uncle. How would you behave with him? Explain in detail.

Ans. If I had Nanukaka as my uncle, I would have behaved with him nicely. It is not good to disregard him as there is a close relationship between us. But I wouldn't support all of his works only because of this relation. If he does so just to create humour I may enjoy it. If it is done with a view to meet his self-interest I would not be a part of his mission.

 

Q. 4. Nanukaka made a big promise to Sohanlal Ratiram Did he ever fulfil his promise ?

Ans. Nanukaka promised Sohanlal to talk about his son to the ambassador Hazrat Barkat Ali. Sohanlal knew that somebody had poisoned the mind of the ambassador about his son. So he wanted that Nanukaka should speak in favour of his son to the ambassador to clear his mind. Sohanlal was told that Nanukaka was the classmate and had good terms with the ambassador Nanukaka never fulfilled his promise to Sohanlal as Nanukaka had no relation with the ambassador at all.

 

Q. 5. Can a person like Nanukaka be more successful in the present society? Give reasons.

Ans. Yes, a person like Nanukaka can be most successful in the present society. Now the world has changed. People, who are simple, good, pious and moral are taken to be foolish. They have to suffer because of their goodness. On the other hand, clever dishonest, mean and immoral persons are taken to be wise. The basis of this is only success. The wrong doer gets success easily as he applies every kind of weapon for his success. Nanukaka belongs to this category. He got success only with the help of telling lies. It's an irony that deceitful and deceptive persons are given more respect in comparison to truthful and good people. Nanukaka was a witty person who easily outwitted the minister and Sohanlal.

 

Q. 6. 'I wonder what is going to happen when the Minister discovers that my uncle has never been within hundred miles of a place called Ninnore Only, when it happens, I want to be somewhere far out of range.' What light does it throw on the motive of the writer in the story? Does he want to glorify manipulation? Warn us of the consequences which its discovery leads to ? Expose the reality we are living in?

Ans. Nanukaka had befooled the minister by telling lies. The writer wonders about the consequences when the minister discovers the reality. The writer doesn't want to glorify manipulation. Glorifying manipulation is supporting friendliness which causes loss to anybody. Here the writer and Nanukaka hadn't done elusion. They had just outwitted people to obtain their ends. What they did was not harmful for anybody. So their action cannot be called manipulation. Yes, he wants to warn about the consequences which the discovery of reality leads to. Nanukaka would of course be in trouble but the writer would also have to suffer. Yes, this story exposes the reality of the society in the present age.

 

Q. 7. What is 'linguistic emergency'? Do we all face it How does it affect our speech ?

Ans. Linguistic emergency is that type of situation in which a person from time-to-time turns to his mother-tongue. Yes, we al face it. People feel some hesitation in their expressions. The writer had to wait in the car park. It was two hours before he came back mumbling Marathi swear words.

 

Q. 8. Discuss the significance of the title ? How is i related to the theme of the story?

Ans. The title of this story is significant. It's significance lie in the fact that it makes the story more interesting. It draws the attention towards itself and creates enjoyment and brings quality in the story. The title 'A Pinch of Snuff' invites the reader to go through the story.

               The title 'A Pinch of Snuff' is related to the story as the ston has comedy and adventure both. A pinch means little. The stor has a little comedy, a little adventure and a little fun. Secondly the whole story revolves around Nanukaka who used to take snuff. Thus the title is related to the theme of the story.

 

C. 2. GROUP DISCUSSION :

Discuss the following in groups or pairs:

1. Taking tobacco in any form is injurious to health. Ans. Taking tobacco is a social problem. Taking tobacco is one of the bad habits which is very common in our society. It is used in different forms. Some people take it in its leaf form grown on plains. Women in rural areas take it in a hukka form. On the  other hand, it is used universally in the form of cigarette. Some take it as a mark of fashion. But whatever its form may be, it is always injurious to health. It causes many diseases like asthma and cancer. At least in sixty per cent cases, the cause of cancer is the use of tobacco. The medical science warns the people against its use. Efforts are being made to educate people against the use of tobacco. Mass awakening against the use of tobacco is necessary.

 

2. A guilty mind is always suspicious.

Ans. 'A guilty mind is always suspicious' is an old proverb. It is true that a wrong doer is always fearful. He remains in fear feeling that someone has marked his guilt and soon he will be caught. Thinking so, he keeps himself alert and cautious. This excessive alertness causes suspicion. The fear of being caught makes the wrong doer restless. Though he tries to hide his restlessness, his fear fails to check it and proves his fault. There are so many stories prevalent in the society which prove the statement correct.

 

C.3. COMPOSITION:

Write a paragraph of about 100 words on each of the following:

1. A Scene at the Railway Platform

Ans. The scene at the railway platform is always interesting. The railway platforms of big stations are always seen overcrowded. Different kind of men and women are seen here. People from different parts, speaking different languages and dressed in different clothes, discussing different topics are seen here. Beggars and vendors are the common part of any railway platform. Thieves and pick-pockets are busy in their jobs. As a result awkward scenes and disorder among passengers are usually seen. In short, the railway platform is always a busy and an interesting place.

      

2. Influence of an Astrologer

Ans. An astrologer is a person who tells about one's future He does so with the help of his studies of stars. A man is always curious to know all about his future. A man thinks that he can face the situation better if he comes to know about it beforehand Some of us want to make their future plan keeping the future in mind. This curiosity sends a him to an astrologer. The astrologer reads the position of the stars and predicts about the person concerned. But they are not reliable all the time. Some of them are cheaters and they deceive the innocent.

 

Thank you 

• NCERT Solution of English Prose Chapter 3 A Pinch of Snuff of Bihar board exam preparation in bihar board zone by Rahul Kumar 

🛜🌐 Bihar board zone gives NCERT solutions, question answers, objective, summary, short notes, MCQ questions of class 12th and 10th which is useful for Bihar board exam (BSEB).📚